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Russia Publishes Guidelines on Avoiding IS Recruitment

If parents notice odd changes in their children's behavior, they should contact the Anti-Terrorist Center, the report said.

A brochure with advice for teachers and parents on how to deal with attempted recruitment of their loved ones by the Islamic State — a terrorist organization banned in Russia — has been created by the “Resistance to the Islamic State Recruiters” project headed by Yelena Sutormina, a member of Russia's Civic Chamber, the TASS news agency reported Monday.

“Parents often don't know that their loved ones are under the influence of [terrorist] recruiters,” Sutormina said at the presentation of the brochure. She added that it might help people who find themselves in such a situation, TASS reported.

The brochure includes information about the signs that parents should be worried about in their children, such as a sudden interest in religious literature, usage of Arabic words and Islamic terminology.

If parents notice odd changes in their children's behavior, they should contact the Anti-Terrorist Center, the report said. If their child is missing because of suspected recruitment by terrorists, they should notify the police as soon as possible, the brochure says.

The advice will be distributed among professors from all Russian higher education institutions. The appearance of the brochure comes on the heels of the high-profile case of Varvara Karaulova, a Russian student who attempted to join the Islamic State earlier this year and is now being investigated for attempting to join a terrorist group.

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